Selling The Dream: A Podcast For Resort & 2nd Home Real Estate Agents

Have you ever had a potential client say, “I don’t need you, I have this online real estate website!” Or maybe they say that by never returning your calls. Either way, we all know that it happens! With the rise of online shopping, it just makes sense that people would turn to the internet to help them make decisions for some of their largest purchases! But you have a secret that could help them find the home of their dreams: you know what’s NOT online, and it just may be the perfect fit for them! So how can you beat Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and all of those websites? Offer an exclusive connection to your leads to help them find the home of their dreams! Are you trying to beat the online options? Listen to this week’s Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast to find new ways to beat websites and offer a personal touch. Highlights of this episode: The rise of online shopping has led to more clients using websites to research housing options. So how do you become the person that they

Have you ever broken down the structure of a SEAL team? They’re all highly trained specialists, the elite of the elite. They know what they’re doing, and they have their eyes on the prize! Working together, they are able to accomplish their goal. But if things go badly, and one is unable to do the work, that doesn’t cripple the entire operation!  They are all so well-trained that any one of them can step up and take the lead. What would happen in your business if you operated like a SEAL team? Instead of working with a lot of agents, what if you were picky and worked with only a few? What would happen to your business is every single person was able to pick up another person’s tasks? That would change how you run your business, right? It would open so many opportunities! Today’s guest on the podcast, Yvonne Arnold, has been in the real estate industry for nearly 40 years - she’s gone from answering phones in her brother’s office to having her own business and closing deals in two completely different ma

Have you ever considered starting a podcast for your real estate business? You may protest, thinking it’s too hard. Almost a hundred episodes into my podcasting journey, I’m here to tell you that you can do it! But what can you talk about? Everything! Talk to people who help show the local flavor of your area, former clients, the major, home inspectors - these are all ideas of people who will have great things to share with your listeners! Even better, I sit down and record multiple episodes at a time (have you ever seen me in the same shirt in some of my YouTube videos? That’s why!). That way, I can sit down, and get it done! Now, from my podcast, I am able to get those episodes turned into blog posts, email content for my newsletter, social media content - I have so much content now to share! Having a podcast has helped me connect with many unserved second home agents who needed support, training, and inspiration on how they can be even better! Thinking about adding a podcast to your money wheel? Lis

How do you get cold leads in your vacation market? If you’re living in a vacation paradise, you may have multiple strategies on how you reach those second home buyers! You know who I’m talking about...those people who want to turn their vacation life into their real life. You’ve become acquainted with your feeder markets, you’ve learned what kinds of people come to your market on vacation, and what they are looking for! Relationships have brought in referrals, and you’ve dug deep into your community, but how are you going to creatively bring in those cold leads, especially leads from outside the area? Thinking a little “outside the box” can help bring them in, and bring you those new relationships that will result in sales! This week on the podcast, I’m talking to Mari Sennott. She lives in Cape Cod, and has been in real estate for more than 20 years! Mari has gotten very creative with how she’s bringing in new leads, and I’m excited for you to get some fresh ideas and strategies from her. Highlights of

Are you on my email list? If you’re in one of my feeder markets, I’m about to tell you a trick that I use to help you know where I am! You may not realize that I do, but once you see it, you won’t be able to miss it! See, you may come across people who aren’t going to buy real estate in your market, and that’s ok! But here’s the thing: they may be a source of referrals. They may know someone or meet someone who is interested in buying in your market. You want them to remember you, and remember where you serve. Even more important, you want the other real estate agents you’ve networked with to remember where you are. You can really start stacking up those referrals! But how can you stand out in all the emails that they get every day? That’s why I use this one trick in my emails to help people remember exactly who I am, and where I am THE real estate expert. Interested in knowing that trick? Listen to this week’s Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast! Highlights of this episode: In a se

What if you never got another lead again? What would that do to your business? How would your business change without cold prospecting? Would your warm market be able to sustain you? More than that, can you imagine experiencing an upward trajectory in your business, when only working with your warm market? Most of us spend time capturing leads, building systems to manage the prospects that come to us. We don’t know how serious they are about buying (yet), so we’ve got our work cut out for us. What if there was a different way, in which leads came to us, ready to buy? That already know, like, and trust us, and are ready to buy a home? Alan and Betsy Thompson took a break from real estate, and when they decided to come back, they revamped their approach and strategy. Instead of chasing leads, they decided to focus their efforts on developing relationships. That strategy has paid off, as their business has grown exponentially. This week on the podcast, I’m talking to Alan. I’ve asked him to share his s

When you’re working an open house, or on the floor at your real estate firm, what questions are you asking your clients? Asking the right questions can mean the difference between a lead who chooses YOU to be their agent, or a complete customer service failure. You have to be strategic in the questions that you ask, because it’s like a “choose your own adventure” book: the answers that people give will help you know exactly how to serve them! These questions go beyond just serving them: they create a connection and a bond between you and that person. Tom Tezak is here for another Tip Tuesday episode of the podcast, inspiring YOU on how asking the right questions will help you serve your leads exact needs. Highlights of this episode: What questions are you asking people at open houses/on the floor? Ask: “where are you from?” This will help you get to know your feeder markets, and help you establish connections! Ask: “where are you staying?” This can help you know more about their budget! Are they s

It’s no secret that this podcast focuses on helping real estate agents focusing on serving second home buyers and agents focusing on selling luxury real estate. But have you ever thought about how interesting it would be to go through the second home buying experience, with all the knowledge that you have learned, and see what it would be like? Recently, I had the chance to experience the second home buying experience from the other side of the table: as a buyer. My wife and I decided that it was time to buy a second home. We did some research, identified our target market, contacted three different agents to get started, and made the trip to San Diego. During that time on the other side of the experience, I was able to see a lot of things with an agent’s perspective, comparing and weighing my experience as an agent with my experience as a buyer. That process is always fascinating, and rather enlightening. I gained a lot of insights that have confirmed my customer service philosophies - you’ll want to

After you’ve helped your client purchase a house, you’re done, right? You know just as well as I do that the work has just begun! They may be busy unpacking boxes and moving in, but you’re going to be able to get more leads by expanding the relationship to help bring in even more business! Each transaction connects you with another person who can bring in leads, and serving the extra mile helps bring those leads in - and helps you stand out as someone who every one of their friends should work out. I have created real estate portfolios for my clients for years - sending them a quick financial report on their property, keeping them updated. By creating a real estate portfolio for your clients, you’re able to present them with a professional snapshot of their real estate investments. Best part? If you offer to add any other properties to the portfolio, they’ll give you even more information about themselves, and help you know your feeder markets, and perhaps even help you be able to expand your referrals

Do you ever find yourself frustrated by how many sources of information there are for your clients and leads? From apps to video messaging, targeted advertising to Facebook and Instagram: there’s a lot to navigate! At the core of all of that, however, is one thing: the relationships. In luxury real estate, and when serving a second home market, those first name relationships are gold. When you make a significant connection with someone, and serve them, you’ll be connected to them for years to come. They just may come to you years later, with an old folded brochure in hand, looking for you to help find their dream home. When you establish yourself as a meaningful connection, and find ways to serve those connections you make, it will come back to you for years to come. Today, Ray Chin is here on the podcast to share how he made the transition from corporate to superstar real estate agent, and how he works relationships in his business.. I met him at an open house before he made the move over to Maui, and

If you’re working in a second home market, or serving the luxury real estate market, you know that there are ebbs and flows! However, you don’t have to give up consistency in your income! You can mitigate those ebbs and flows by marketing differently to segments of your audience. You essentially create not one, but TWO markets that you implement unique marketing strategies for. One campaign is to luxury buyers: you know their needs, how to serve them! You show them in your advertising that you’ve got what it takes! In your other marketing campaigns, you are serving investment property renters. You show them that you know what they need: that you are equipped to serve them. You know how to serve even from a distance, as many are looking for potential investments in other locations. When you have two completely different markets that you serve, you’re able to keep your income consistent: after all, the bank doesn’t care which market your income came from! Tom Tezak is here for another Tip Tuesday episode

A second home is a great investment: until all of a sudden, it’s not. But how can you avoid pitfalls and high costs of a second home investment? Let’s say you find affordable real estate, and are looking at getting into purchasing it as an investment home. How will you know that it’s a good investment? And how can you make sure that you find the right kind of tenant? How can you avoid the house eating all of your profits? For those of us who are serving second home buyers, there are a lot of questions that can help them get the absolute best investment. By knowing the right questions to ask, and helping steer them towards the right strategies for buying, tenanting, and managing their property, we can make the investment process easier! Today, Heather Connor is here on the podcast to share her best advice for those looking at investment properties. This episode will help you serve your clients more effectively, teaching you the right questions to ask, and how you can guide your clients toward the easiest ex

As a real estate agent working in the second home market, you’re going to meet all kinds of home buyers! When working with investment buyers, there are lots of things to consider: What kind of return can they expect on their investment? What kind of expenses can they anticipate? How can they find a second home in the best place to help have the best return on that investment? What “hidden costs” do they need to be aware of? Today in the podcast, we’re talking about investment buyers: those second home buyers who are purchasing another home with the intent to rent it out, as an investment home. Tom Tezak is here, along with special guest Lori Gill, for another Tip Tuesday episode of the podcast, inspiring YOU on how you can prepare your clients who are investing in real estate. Highlights of this episode: When you work with real estate investors, and people who are buying properties as an investment, you can help them differently! First of all, you need to have a property manager that you c

What happens when you’re working in a secondary home market, and many of your clients and leads don’t live close by? Many of the homes that you sell are going to be second, and maybe even third, fourth, or fifth homes. These are the dream homes; the vacation homes that your clients have always wanted. These homes may be in harder-to-get to locations, or your clients and leads live in different cities. This increases the chances that your interactions with your clients are going to be on the screen: but how can use screens and video to be able to better connect with your clients, helping lead them in a personal, easy home-buying experience? We all know that face-to-face contact often yields the best connection and communication, but sometimes, it just isn’t practical. Today, Doug Devitre is here on the podcast to talk about his experiences serving real estate agents in using video and screens to connect even more effectively. He’s made thousands of videos, and is a pro at connecting with people through t

There’s one question that every second home agent should be asking every single lead, and every single client you’ve done business with. How many houses do you own? This simple question will tell you exactly how you can serve that client. We all know that second home buyers have a different perspective when it comes to home buying. They’ve been through this before; they have an idea of what’s going on. When they buy an additional house, their goal is to get through this process as easily and painlessly as possible. Asking this one question will tell you exactly where their head is out, and how you can serve them. And, you never know - learning more about their other homes just could bring about some new referral business! Tom Tezak is here for another Tip Tuesday episode of the podcast, inspiring YOU on one question you should be asking every single lead and client. Highlights of this episode: Ask all of your clients and leads: how many houses do you own? Questions help you learn how you can pote

Have you ever considered getting into the vacation home market? Imagine living in a town of 10,000, and having more than 2 million visitors per year! Sounds like the right kind of investment for a savvy homeowner who wants to work in vacation rentals. But how do you get into that market? As many of us are serving second home buyers, they may be looking to purchase investment homes, wanting to add another spoke to their personal money wheel. Learning how to navigate a vacation home market, or a high volume vacation rental market will help you meet their needs at a higher level. Today, Tammy Pack is here on the podcast to talk about her experiences working in the vacation rental industry, especially in a high volume tourist industry. Her deep knowledge will inspire you on how you can view investment rentals, and serve your clients who are looking for another potential stream of revenue. Her mastery of social media and deep industry knowledge makes her a vacation market expert, and I’m excited for you to l

Growing your network is so important for your business. The more people you have in your sphere, the more chances you have to grow. But you have to do the work to create that network of go-to people. You won’t meet new people if you keep doing the same old thing that you’ve been doing. But how can you get out there and get to know new people? Glad you asked! This episode of the podcast is five tips on how to increase your circle of influence - and you know me, there just may be a bonus tip that I’ve found particularly helpful. Best part is: most of these tips are easy and won’t cost you lots of money! Tom Tezak is here for another Tip Tuesday episode of the podcast, inspiring YOU on how you can grow your circle of influence. Highlights of this episode: Your network needs to be nurtured - relationships don’t just happen! Join your local Chamber of Commerce: you run a business; you qualify. Offer to be part of the board of a non-profit. When you volunteer, you get noticed in your community, and peo

Have you ever found out about a company moving into your area, and knew that there was an opportunity for new business? Many people will move to the area, and they’ll need a place to live! You’re ready to serve them….right? Well, if you’re finding out about that relocation in the news, I hate to tell you this, but you’re too late! In order to be able to help those big companies, you’ve got to have connections, and be out there talking to people. Not all is lost: be ready for those referrals, and find ways to be able to help the new people coming to your area. Want to make sure that you don’t miss out on big opportunities like this? You can get information by attending local community events, networking, and being involved in your local chamber of commerce. Working as a relocation realtor is very different from most other real estate jobs. You’re going to thrive on referrals. Those referrals will definitely have higher fees perhaps than what you’re used to, but really, you never know: it could end up

Do you ever stop and rest on your laurels from a previous success? Or have you ever spent time beating yourself up for a missed sale, or a failure? I’m here to tell you that what you did yesterday doesn’t impact today’s success! In fact, many who are successful may not be successful in the future if they don’t tune in to the market and stay up to date with changes! The possibilities are out there for us all. If you’re tuned in and listening to the market, anything is possible. Tom Tezak is here for another Tip Tuesday episode of the podcast, inspiring YOU on how what you did yesterday does not limit your future success. Highlights of this episode: What you did yesterday doesn’t indicate your future success! Were you successful yesterday? Don’t rest on your laurels! Did you feel like a failure, struggling with your career? That doesn’t mean you can’t find  success just around the corner! No matter where you are, and what you’ve done, the possibilities are out there! Even if you’ve been successf

How many sources of income do you have? Just one? Or are there other ways in which you bring in more income? We all have what I like to call a “money wheel.” The spokes are our income, and help that wheel move forward. Most people have 2, maybe 4 spokes. If you only have one spoke - one source of income, what happens if that breaks? What happens if that money stops coming in? I believe that everyone should have multiple spokes in their money wheel; multiple ways in which our business brings in money. You know that many of your clients purchasing their second, third, or even fourth homes think differently about money than the average first time home buyer. You probably are also aware that they bring in multiple streams of income. Discipline yourself to think like them, and you’ll be able to serve them even more effectively! Today, I’m here to share 33 possible spokes for your money wheel, and how you can bring in even more income. You don’t have to incorporate all 33 of these spokes, but if you can incorporate